Heat exchange apparatus



June 4, 1963 s. A. B. DAHLGREN HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1, 1959 MM 9 V T "M w T %w E H v H w a n .m H mm 5 V//// l 4 3 2 0 0 w 9m- I lb 7 un 4. l 5 2 June 4, 1963 I s. A. B. DAHLGREN ,1

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lullzlllnunluli i. "Y

INVENTOR. 00/7 lyre 7 Sven filfrea Berzi V Z 7 f w M I I 2 9 5. P v 1 V/////,

VII 7 M, M fwd wa United States Patent 3,092,180 HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Sven Alfred Bertil Dahlgren, Bromma, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Separator, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Sept. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 837,534 Claims priority, application Sweden Sept. 17, 1958 14 Claims. (Cl. 165-88) The present invention relates to heat exchange apparatus for concentration or evaporation of a liquid or for heat exchange between the liquid and a heat-emitting medium. The invention relates more particularly to such an apparatus of the type which is provided with a rotor enclosed in a housing.

In heat exchange apparatus of this type as proposed heretofore, the rotor consists of a hollow (usually coneshaped) body on the inside of which the material to be heat-treated is introduced at the center and from which it is discharged at the periphery, while the heat-emitting medium is supplied on the outside of the rotor. By rotating the rotor in such an apparatus at high speed, it is possible to attain a considerable heat-transmission capacity. However, the volume of the apparatus in relation to the heat-transmission surface is rather great. It has therefore been proposed to make the rotor of two opposed, cone-shaped surfaces and provide a plurality of chambers formed of such surfaces, these chambers being connected in parallel and being in axially superposed relation to each other. However, no appreciable saving of space has been obtained in this way, which is primarily due to me design of the heat-transmission surfaces and the interspaces between them.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the above-noted difficulty.

According to the invention, the rotor is provided with a number of uniform, coaxial partitions, preferably conical, which are fitted in each other and between which are channels or slots, every second of which is arranged to be passed through by the heat-receiving medium, while the rest of them are arranged to be passed through by the heat-emitting medium. The channels or slots for the heat-receiving medium have their inlets situated at the center and their outlets situated at the periphery, while the channels for the heat-emitting medium have both their inlets and their outlets situated at the periphery.

The invention is described more in detail below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are vertical sectional views of two preferred embodiments of the invention.

The apparatus according to FIG. 1 comprises a housing made of lower and upper parts 1 and 2, respectively. The housing 12 also serves as a frame, and its two parts are held together by means of screws 3. The housing contains a rotor which likewise is made of upper and lower parts 5-6 held together by means of two bolts 4, and which contains a nest of conical partitions 7. The latter are joined in pairs by means of ring-shaped parts 8 and 9, alternately at the outer and inner edges, so that channels or slots are formed between the partitions, every second channel 10 being opened inwards towards the center, while the other channels 11 are closed at the center by the rings 8. The rings 89 are in conaaaaisa centric relation to the rotor axis. The rotor part 6 is fitted on a hollow vertical shaft 12 which is supported by two ball bearings 14, 15 arranged in a bearing box 13 secured to the part 1 by means of screws, the shaft being provided with a driving pulley 16.

The rings 9 are superposed in relation to each other and provided with intermediate sealing rings 17 and with channels 18, 19 which cross each other. The channels 18 are axially directed and are arranged inside the sealing rings 17 and situated opposite each other in the various rings. They are in communication through grooves 20 with the slots 10, and open at their lower ends into a common collecting trough 21 arranged in the bottom of the part 6. In this trough is a paring tube 22 which communicates with a central outlet 23 extending through the hollow shaft 12. The part 6 surrounds the rings 9 and centers them. The rings 9 rest together with a conical bottom disc 24 against a flange 25 in the part 6 and are jammed between this flange and the part 5 by means of the bolts 4. The part 6 has holes 26 which correspond with grooves 27 arranged in the rings 9 and with the channels 19, and these holes, together with the channels 19, join the slots 11 with a chamber 28 between the rotor and the surrounding housing. The chamber 28 is provided with a steam inlet 29 and a condensate outlet 39. Between the rotor and the non-rotary parts are sealing means 31, 32. The interior of the rotor can be connected by an outlet 33 with a vacuum source and has an inlet 34 for the material to be heat-treated. Extending radially from the inlet 34 are distributing pipes 35 by means of which the material to be heat-treated is introduced into the chambers or slots 10 at the center, and from there it is spread over the outer surfaces formed of the partitions 7 and defining these chambers. Through the influence of the centrifugal force, the material is thrown outwards in thin layers along these defining surfaces while receiving that heat which the steam, passing into the slots 11 from the chamber 28, gives off during condensation to the outside of the partitions 7. The condensate depositing on the partitions 7 is immediately thrown away from them by the centrifugal force, so that a good heat transmission from the steam to the partitions is always maintained.

The embodiment according to FIG. 2 likewise comprises a housing made of two parts 36, 37 which are held together by means of screws 38, and a rotor which contains a nest of conical partitions 39 which are joined in pairs by means of ring-shaped parts alternately at the outer and inner edges, so that channels or slots are formed between the partitions, every second channel 42 being opened inwards towards the center, while the other channels 4-3 are closed at the center. The partitions 39 and the appurtenant rings 40, 41 are fitted in a bowl which opens upwardly and the bottom 45 of which is bent upwards and substantially follows the form of the partitions. The ring-shaped parts 44} are provided with sealing rings 46 located in grooves and are pressed against each other and against the bottom of the bowl 44 by means of a ring 47 and bolts 48. The ring 47 is shaped in such a way that it forms a collecting trough 49' for the concentrate which is thrown out from the interspaces 42 through channels 50 arranged in the rings 40'. The bowl 44 is sunk into a wider bowl '51 having a flange 52, a sealing ring 53 being inserted bet-ween the bowls 44 and 51 and held by means of bolts 54. The parts 44 and l--5253 thus form a separate chamber 55. The bowl 51 is fitted on a hollow vertical drive shaft 56 which is supported by two ball bearings 58, 59 arranged in a bearing box 57 secured to the stationary part 36-, and the shaft 56 is provided with a driving pulley 60. The chamber 55 communicates through a channel 61 in the shaft 56 with a connection 62 for supply of-steam and forms at its lower part an enlarged portion in which there is a paring tube 63. The latter communicates with a central tube 64 arranged in the shaft "56 and serves as an outlet'for the condensate formed from the supplied steam which, through'o-penings 65-from the. chamberSS, enters the interspaoes' ii where it is condensed while emitting heat to the partitions 39. Condensate formed in the interspaces 43 is thrown by centrifugal force through the openings 65backinto the chamber 55.

in the open trough49 is a paring tube 66 which is in communication with an outlet 67 through the wall of the upper housing part 37. The chamber 68 between the rotorand the surrounding housing is provided with a vacuum'oonnection 69 and with a vertical inlet tube 70 for the material which is to be heat-treated and which, by means of radial distributing pipes 71, is led into the interspaces 42. The housing surrounding the rotoris also provided with a bottom outlet 72 which normally should be closed. A sealing ring 73 is arranged between the shaft 56 and the lower part so of the surrounding housing. A similar sealing means 74 is arranged between the shaft 56 and the connection 62. No further sealing means are required between rotary and stationary 'parts in the embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG.

2, which therefore is quite simple as far as the sealing means are concerned.

It will be understood that the parts 34--35 and 7 tl--71 form means for feeding the heat-receiving medium to the inlets :of the alternate channels it) and 42., respectively; and the parts 2@2i--2223 and ss 49 se-s7 form means for discharging fromthe housing the heatreceiving medium passing through the peripheral outlets of the alternate channels it and 42, respectively.

I claim:

l. A heat exchange apparatus of the centrifugal type comprising a stationary housing, a rotormounted in the housing for rotation about an axis, a nest of coaxial conical partitions secured in the rotor for rotation therewith and defining a series of axially spaced rotor channels between the partitions, alternate rotor channels serving for flow of a heatereceiving medium While the other channels serve for flow of a heatemitting medium, said alternate channels each having an inlet located near the rotor axis and an outlet at the peripheral portion of the rotor,

said other channels having openings located at said pe ripheral portion and forming both inlets and outlets for said other channels, the housing having an inlet for admitting said heat-emitting medium into said other chanels by way of said peripheral openings, means for feeding a,

the heat-receiving medium :to said inlets of said alternate channels, and means for discharging from the housing the heat-receiving medium passing through said peripheral outlets of said alternate channels.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said discharging means include a collecting chamber in the rotor communicating with said peripheral outlets of said alternate channels, and a paring device in said collecting chamber.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in wluch said discharging means include a collecting chamber in the rotor communicating with said peripheral outlets of said alternate channels, and a paring device in said collecting chamher, the housing having an'evacuation outlet in open communication With said collecting chamber.

4. Apparatus according. to claim 1, comprising also sealing means located between the housing and rotor and sealing said alternate channels and discharge means from said space between the housing and rotor.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising also sealing means located between the housing and rotor and sealing said alternate channels and discharge means from said space between the housing and rotor, said space having a steam inlet and a condensate outlet for the heatemitting medium. 7

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which. said discharging means include a collecting chamber in the rotor communicating with said peripheral outlets of said alternate channels, and a paring device in said collecting chamber, said collecting chamber being in direct communication with said space between the housing and rotor, the rotor having a second chamber separate from said collecting chamber and communicating with said peripheral openings of said other channels, the second chamber being provided with a central steam inlet and a central condensate outlet for the heat-emitting medium, the apparatus also including a paring device located in said second chamber and connected to said condensate outlet.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said partitions form rotor elements joined with each other at the periphery, each of said elements being formed of two adjacent partitions and spacing rings connecting the partitions at their central and peripheral portions, the peripheral connecting rings having inlet and outlet channels for said mediums and which cross each other.

8;. A heat exchange apparatus of the centrifugal type comprising a stationary housing, a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis, the housing forming a peripheral portion, alternate channels serving forflow of a heat-receiving medium and the other channels serving for flow of a heat-emitting medium, each of the alternate channels having an annular inlet located near and extending round the rotor axis, a stationary distributing member facing each of said annular inlets and disposed in the rotor to distribute heat-receiving medium into each alternate channel through its annular inlet, the rotor having a collecting channel communicating with the outer portions of said alternate channels, means for discharging the heat-.

receiving medium from said collecting channel to a point outside the housing, said other conical channels being closed at their radially inner portions and having openings at their radially outer. portions, meansfor supplying ,a heat-emitting medium to said openings, and means for discharging condensed heat-emitting medium from said openings to the outside of the housing.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which one of said discharging means includes a paring member in said rotor chamber.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the housing has an evacuation outlet in open communication with said rotor chamber but sealed from said stationary housing chamber. a

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the housing has an evacuation outlet in open communication with said stationary housing chamber but sealed from said rotor chamber.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which said openings lead to and fromthe stationary housing chamber, said rotor chamber being sealedtrom the housing chamber and having an evacuation outlet, said annular inlets and said collecting channel being in said rotor chamber.

13. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which said housing and rotor chambers are sealed from each' other, said openings leading to and from the rotor chamber, said housing chamber having an evacuation outlet and being in open communication with said annular inlets and said collecting channel.

14. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which said housing and rotor chambers are sealed from each other, said openings leading to and from the rotor chamber, said housing chamber having an evacuation outlet and being in open communication with said annular inlets and said collecting channel, said discharging means for the heat- Ieceiving medium including a paring device fixed to the housing and located in said housing chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schneible J an. 1, 1924 Cornelius et a1 Aug. 15, 1939 Cornell May 4, 1943 Hachmuth Apr. 4, 1951 Mautner et a1 Nov. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark Nov. 22, 1915 France Jan. 12, 1959 

1. A HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS OF THE CENTRIFUGAL TYPE COMPRISING A STATIONARY HOUSING, A ROTOR MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS, A NEST OF COAXIAL CONICAL PARTITIONS SECURED IN THE ROTOR FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND DEFINING A SERIES OF AXIALLY SPACED ROTOR CHANNELS BETWEEN THE PARTITIONS, ALTERNATE ROTOR CHANNELS SERVING FOR FLOW OF A HEAT-RECEIVING MEDIUM WHILE THE OTHER CHANNELS SERVE FOR FLOW OF A HEAT-EMITTING MEDIUM, SAID ALTERNATE CHANNELS EACH HAVING AN INLET LOCATED NEAR THE ROTOR AXIS AND AN OUTLET AT THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE ROTOR, SAID OTHER CHANNELS HAVING OPENINGS LOCATED AT SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION AND FORMING BOTH INLETS AND OUTLETS FOR SAID OTHER CHANNELS, THE HOUSING HAVING AN INLET FOR ADMITTING SAID HEAT-EMITTING MEDIUM INTO SAID OTHER CHANNELS BY WAY OF SAID PERIPHERAL OPENINGS, MEANS FOR FEEDING THE HEAT-RECEIVING MEDIUM TO SAID INLETS OF SAID ALTERNATE CHANNELS, AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING FROM THE HOUSING THE 